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Dusk Weymouth Bandits failed to end their recent run of losses away to the Portsmouth City Smugglers. From the outset they trailed the home side though the determined play of Michael Willemse kept Weymouth in the hunt. Despite Willemse’s play, Portsmouth continued their strong effect leading by 10 at the end of the first quarter. A change of defence failed to slow the Smuggler's scoring in the second quarter, but the Bandits big men Ian Manley and Matt Board combined for 12 points to keep pushing the scoring, unfortunately still down by 21 at the end of the half.

The second half was a change of pace for the Bandits who slowed the Smugglers scoring and proved to be the more determined team. With the dismissal of a Smugglers player from foul trouble, Alex Fuhrmann and Chris Canham outpaced the tiring hosts to take 15 points in the final minutes. With only one quarter remaining, the score was still a hard target, but in true Bandits form they refused to give up, continuing to rebound well and push the ball. As the game minutes ticked down, Weymouth found a pleasant performance for 16 year old Fillipo Romano who hit a long range effort to end the game and finish the score 69 – 88.

Coach Chris Canham, “The performance of the side in the second half was a reminder of what the Weymouth Bandits are capable of and never giving up. We were especially pleased with Filippo Romano's debut appearance for the side, looks like a player for future consideration.”

Despite this being the Huskies’ second game in three days, the Weymouth team went into the game against Plymouth University feeling positive.

They started the 1st quarter with a man to man defence this limited Plymouth to only 8 points, whilst Weymouth couldn’t take advantage of this only scoring 3 points themselves through some good free throw shooting from Sarah James, Jayne Guppy and Nicolle Cornish. This meant Plymouth had a 5 point lead going into the 2nd quarter. This allowed Plymouth to continue with their good shooting increasing their total to 18 points. Through some gaps in the Huskies’ defence allowing them to score 5 easy baskets. Before the Huskies managed to hit back with two baskets after some successful rebounding from Jayne Guppy and Carly Dean with Guppy being able to convert her rebound into an easy 2 points with 2 further points being added to this just before the break. This gave the University team a lead of 22 points to 8.

Weymouth began the 3rd Quarter the way they ended the 2nd Quarter with another easy basket from Guppy. Before Plymouth again took advantage of Weymouth’s defence scoring 19 points throughout the quarter, increasing their lead to 41-10 with Weymouth only able to score 2 points in the quarter. This lead to the Huskies’ needing to go out in the final quarter focusing on defending against the Plymouth teams attacking play. So they went out with a strong zone defence which seemed to be working as Plymouth weren’t able to get as many successful shots in, and Weymouth followed their shots through with some strong rebounding allowing MVP Sarah James to score 2 more points from the free throw line before following that up with 2 more points from going through the Plymouth defence for a lay up. Before Rosie Moore added further success to the Huskies’ attacking play during this quarter through pulling a 3 pointer out of the bag, with Sarah James adding a further 3 points to the total score from an easy shot with a successful free throw to end the game. While the Huskies’ were able to double their score in the last quarter it was Plymouth University won came out on top with a final score on 54-20.

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE... ALL MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PURCHASE A TICKET (EVEN IF NOT ATTENDING IN SUPPORT OF THE CLUB).

SEE CHE, ALEX, CHRIS & ANDY.

‘Lets Ensure Our Future’

Friday 25/03/11 @ Aura, 7pm – 11pm

£5.00 Ticket + free glass of Champagne on Arrival as provided by Aura

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Big Al's Big Basketball Quiz Extravaganza

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Close Up Magic provided by our very own Club illusionist ‘David Days’

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Bring and Win Raffle – All members are encouraged to bring a raffle prize whether it be a wooden spoon or bottle of wine or a basketball shirt. All raffle money will go to the nights total for the club.

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Please note: This will be a Private Party and tickets will be sold to each squad over the coming weeks. All ages are welcome and are encouraged to come along. Please invite friends and families to make this event go off (five pound entry on door for non-members)

I.D Will be required to purchase alcohol if you look under 21

Look forward to seeing you all there

Any Questions contact Steve H – 07771565905 or the committee

College get 2 wins in 3 days

Mar 2, 2011, 7:40 pm

In the their first meeting of the season, the smaller Weymouth side had to call up yr10 Josh Turner from Wey Valley for some needed minutes, though this was not a worry from the opening tip. Shaftsbury with only 7 players themselves found difficulty in finding there shot which gave Weymouth a jump start, Sam Dodge and Jack Speary both providing a steady flow of baskets until Gaz Williams capped off the successful quarter scoring 10 straight points. Shaftsbury fought back in the 2nd period, taking advantage of some poor passing from Weymouth and though not coming close to the lead, making uncomfortable work for the college side.

With the short reality check, Weymouth entered the second half with a renewed determination that was not going to be held so easily. With this fresh approach they went on an impressive scoring spree which yielded an amazing 30 points to Shaftsbury’s 2 points. This run steadily continued into the forth quarter where Dodge continued his dominance leading his team to a 104 – 43 win.

In their second meeting of the week, Shaftsbury had somewhat of an advantage being at home, though Weymouth were still flying high from their previous impressive win.

As expected Weymouth picked up right from where they left off, Campbell assisting Dodge in finding the basket soon followed by Williams. Though Weymouth did find ease in scoring, it was their defence that most stifled the Shaftsbury side. The inclusion of 6’5 Rob Legg allowed Weymouth to clog the inside of the key, forcing the home side to attempt all their shots from long distance. Working well, the visitors closed the half only allowing 3 baskets, leading 35 – 6.

The second half didn’t start too well for Weymouth who were riding too high on their confidence, allowing Shaftsbury to score 3 quick baskets in a single minute. With an obvious lack of effort and a cocky stride coach Alex Fuhrmann was forced to call a timeout and focus his players. The team responded straight away finding their previous form with multiple steals coming from Speary and Connor Doherty, all leading to easy fast break baskets. With Weymouth back in the driving seat the frustrated home side began to show signs of metal fatigue as 2 moments of physical outburst stopped the game. Williams grabbed his amazing 22nd rebound of the game, showing Weymouth were unfazed by their host’s attempt. With minutes of the game ticking down Weymouth seemed to find further opportunity to score, closing the game 75 - 39.

Coach Alex Fuhrmann, “great job for both games, considering we only had 6 players for each. We didn’t get close to foul trouble and we played easy, simple basketball. In our second game we didn’t shoot as well as the 1st but we played more as a team and rebounded a lot better which gave us points on the board. We did have some pushing/shoving in the second game but I’m really pleased the lads didn’t allow themselves to get drawn in and focused on the score line.”

Cowboys gun down top flight Eagles

Feb 26, 2011, 12:16 pm

In their previous meeting, the Weymouth Cowboys lost by 1 point. In their return leg at Weymouth College it was time for table topping eagles to face a rejuvenated Cowboys side, who were on a 3 game winning streak since that close loss.

Things didn’t look great for the home side as Eagles started the game in fine form, finding multiple baskets and giving themselves a slight lead of 4 points. This was short lived as Weymouth stand outs Dan Campbell and Filippo Romano ignited to keep their team in the game. As the 1st period came to a close it was obvious that a change in defence was required, which coach Alex Fuhrmann obliged to and found superior form in the 2nd period. A call up from the 3rd team for Giles Heaman was well deserved as he entered scoring 5 points and keeping a completive pace of the game which the Eagles could not keep up with. Joined by the defensive presence of Rob Legg and Steve Howlett, Weymouth raced to a 44 – 37 lead at half time.

The 3rd period had hoped to carry the momentum of the 3rd, but a strong reshuffle from the Southampton side meant Weymouth could not stick to their usual fast paced style. As the 3rd quarter continued, Weymouth still kept the visitors behind through Campbell’s shooting and Gaz Williams gaining several second chance baskets.

With the final quarter in front of them and a 3 point lead, it was to take more than just luck to seek their revenge. Sadly Southampton hit another 3 pointer, levelling the score and requiring a step up in effort. Romano seemed to gladly oblige, joined by Heaman kept the score within 1 basket, as the final minutes ticked down. With only 26 seconds left and the score tied, spectators watched in amazement as the Southampton side failed to take the ball 4 times, giving Weymouth every chance to win. With 3 seconds remaining, Romano drove to the basket, getting fouled. Missing his first free throw attempt, he confidently hit the second, handing his team a 1 point lead. The Eagles still had 3 seconds to come up with a play to win the game, though due to some off the ball shirt pulling were awarded further free throws. Despite both Williams and Sam Dodge missing 4 free throws between them, it was enough for the home side as they gained the win 82-81.

Coach Alex Fuhrmann, “the run continues! This was a must win game for our lads and with one of our strongest teams, I was really keen to get a win against the divisions best side. It was the best game the club has had all season, though it was frustrating at times, I believe the best side on the night got the result. We now have a shot at finishing the season on a 7 game winning streak”.

Friday 4th February at Ashdown leisure centre in Poole and Dorset Storm turned out a new and improved lineup against Weymouth Giants at the 7pm tip off. The Giants had the best of this seasons previous encounters by slim margins and this change in lineup could prove crucial to the outcome of this game.

The game started and it was end to end basketball with Storm scoring first. Weymouth then answered with the "monkey brothers" combining well from the outset. A brief period of offensive dominance by Storm put them ahead by as much as 8pts and coach Osborne of the Giants had to call a timeout to talk things over.

The Giants came back out with an altered lineup and determined to claw back the 8pts they needed to tie the game, but the Storm weren't going to make it easy for them. The addition of a 5"11in centre at the heart of the storm defence meant Weymouth were only getting one chance to score on the offensive end while storm were getting second and third chance baskets due to some aggressive rebounding. With the whole team chipping in and points across the board Weymouth went in at the half down by 4pts and storm looked like they had the edge in this game.

The second half began with some quick Weymouth baskets, one from Miles-kimball smith and one from Micheal o Donnovan brought the score back to level and the game was back on. Again the sides began exchanging baskets one for one keeping the game close right up to the fourth quarter. In the fourth Quarter it was defence and control of the backboards that paid off for the Weymouth side. The defensive boards being controlled by Josh Westlake, Andrew Dumbrell and Jerry Thompson stopped Storms second and third chance offences and stalled their scoring momentum. Meanwhile Baskets from Thompson, Westlake and some aggressive drives to the basket from Gilmartin took the Giants into the lead for the first time. The Storm put the pressure on and picked up defence on Weymouths main scoring threats Gilmartin and Thompson. The Giants worked the ball round committing the defence and passing until the ball fell into the hands of young Emily Screen who was wide open and playing her first competitive game for the Giants, she converted the 10ft Jumpshot to take the game out of reach and seal victory 33 - 25 for the Giants in their first game of the night.

Giants Tame The Tigers

The second game followed immediately after the first and with a tough first game out of the way the Giants started the second game with a different initial lineup. The game started and Dorchester took the lead within minutes, running the ball up the court quickly and catching the Giants on the break. Dorchester had the lead and so It was the young Giants turn to step up and take control. Josh Westlake again controlling the Defensive glass while U9's players Luis Weaver and Emily Screen put points on the board closing the gap to within 4pts. The game progressed and by the midway point of the 2nd quarter the Weymouth bench were sufficiently rested and ready to play. Jerry Thompson came back on court and began making his presence felt instantaneously. Dorchester had to make substitutions of their own and as the Tigers subbed off their starters, Weymouth subbed theirs on. This proved as a good turning point in the game for the Giants as they crept into a two point lead at the turn of the half.

The second half had a tough start for Weymouth as Dorchester brought back on a couple of their starting lineup who were trading baskets with the Giants and keeping the game within 4pts. It was in the offensive rebounds that Weymouth found the extra points needed to take the game out of Dorchesters reach. Andrew Dumbrell getting 4 offensive rebounds in the third quarter and supplying Luis Weaver, Max Gilmartin, and Andre Morris with extra points. Some tough defence in the fourth and a mass of fast break baskets from Gilmartin, Thompson, Morris, and Westlake secured the game for the Giants as they ran out comfortable victors 32 - 9 in the end.

WEYMOUTH U19's HOT STREAK TURNS COLD

Feb 14, 2011, 7:15 pm

As all was going well, and the Rough Riders were undefeated in the SABA Under 19s league, all engines stopped when Weymouth travelled to Southampton to play 2 games against Gosport and Solent Kestrels.

It started out an extremely dull first game with the first basket arriving a staggering 5 minutes into play, Dan Campbell started the game off for the Rough Riders but unfortunately took them into the end of the first quarter down 4-5. Coach Connor Doherty tried rallying his troops and getting them back to original ways of persistent low post scoring from Gaz Williams and Sam Dodge. This however was not the case when the Rough Riders came out shooting a unnecessary amount of three pointers, and missed on all but 1. The 2nd quarter was also dull and the halftime scoreline stayed with the Rough Riders trailing Gosport 11-13.

Coach Doherty again tried getting the idea of low post scoring into his players heads, and added Alok Bahl into the mix to try and get some offense going for the team. This worked out for Weymouth as they got the ball inside the paint and got the ball to the basket on a number of occasions. Fantastic play from Dan Campbell and Jack Speary, and strong rebounding from Henry Anyanjo had Weymouth heading into the 4th quarter with a 4 point lead. Unfortunately for the Riders, Gosport Fredwell and Godliman found terrific form and starting making everything they fired up. The pair finished the game with a combined 36 points. The game was extremely close down to the wire, and when behind 2 points Fillippo Romano stepped to the free throw line, but only made 1 of 2 shots. This had the Rough Riders down by 1 point, with Gosport on the ball. Gosport were fouled and headed to the line. Luckily for Weymouth Godliman missed both shots, and when Weymouth collected the deflected ball out of bounds, Coach Doherty screamed for a timeout, the referee allowed play to continue with the inbound, time ran out and the referee then called game over and directed both teams to their benches. Doherty had to have strong words with the referee to ensure he called a timeout when Weymouth had the ball out of bounds. The game was then brought back into play with Weymouth having a chance to win the game with a half court shot with 1.5 seconds left on the clock. Dan Campbell threw the inbound pass all the way up court to Gaz Williams in hope of an alley-oop score, unfortunately Williams could not hit and no foul was called, ending the game with a 42-41 loss for the Rough Riders, ending their unbeaten run.

The Rough Riders then played the Solent Kestrels, and trailed the game throughout, they could not get anything going offensively and could not stop the Kestrels from scoring on the other end. Weymouth looked tired throughout and could never get the game within a close distance, good play again from Campbell wasn’t enough, and the Rough Riders ended up losing the second game 51- 42.

Coach Doherty said ‘It was a fantastic game to coach, especially with the close finish towards the end. Luck didn’t go our way in the end with a foul that should’ve been called on the last play of the game, but sometimes you don’t get those calls. Great play from Gosport and they fully deserved the win’.

Weymouth Cowboys were back to winning ways after scoring a 78 to 62 victory over Portsmouth Smugglers at Portsmouth Grammar School on Wednesday night. It was Weymouth’s third win on the bounce after a mixed start to the season and further evidence that this young team is developing a strong chemistry together.

The Cowboys flew off the mark with Dan Campbell hitting two consecutive three-pointers inside the first minute. Sam ‘Gooner’ Dodge and Gaz Williams contributed baskets to increase the advantage over the home side in what was a fast and free-flowing first period. A spirited Smugglers side fought back to narrow the advantage to 6 points with three minutes left in the quarter, before Jack ‘the knife’ Speary answered to give the Cowboys a 22 to 16 lead heading into the second period.

The furious tempo continued throughout the second period with both sides trading baskets and seemingly unable to stop the other from scoring. Portsmouth had chances, but failed to convert three out of four fouls shots before Rob ‘Chief’ Legg converted an offensive rebound to give Weymouth an 11 point lead with five minutes remaining in the quarter. Jack ‘the knife’ then scored on three consecutive possessions for Weymouth including one three-pointer to extend the visitors advantage. Sam ‘Gooner’ Dodge scored again before Eric ‘Big Eazy’ Olson found space to score and was fouled. He converted the free throw to complete the three point play. Dan Campbell scored two baskets near the end of the half which finished with Weymouth in front 44 to 28.

In the third quarter Weymouth switched to a zonal marking system which helped to slow the tempo of the game. Mat Board dominated the rebounds for Weymouth as Portsmouth continued to chase the match. The smugglers even went on a run of four unanswered baskets midway through the quarter before Dan Campbell, ‘Big Eazy’ Olson, and Gaz Williams all netted to restore confidence to the visitors. Despite these late Weymouth goals, the Smugglers outscored the Cowboys by 10 during the third quarter.

This left Portsmouth within striking distance of victory at the start of the fourth quarter, having narrowed the gap to 6 points. But the Cowboys then rustled up six unanswered points in an increasingly physical match which would become dominated by some late refereeing decisions as emotions flared on both sides. At five minutes left in the match both sides traded fouls and subsequent free throws. But the strain began to show as Portsmouth’s captain became increasingly frustrated when several close decisions went against him, and he was forced to sit the last minute after earning a technical foul for dissent. The Cowboys remained composed and then blew the game open after scoring 9 unanswered points.

Weymouth finished what was a high-tempo and spirited match as 78 – 62 winners. Portsmouth played with passion and intensity and, despite trailing for the entire match, they never relented throughout. Cowboys captain Eric ‘Big Eazy’ Olson later said: “we were very pleased with our performance. Everyone played their roles in an excellent team effort. Portsmouth were a credit to themselves, but we simply refused to let them back into the match. Our young lads really led the way tonight.”